A Late Goodbye
by The Lollipop Butler Master
Summary: Sometimes, it's always best to part off properly. And sometimes, you have to do your goodbye a second time.


[Disclaimer: I do not own X-men or the characters, even though the story is mine. I kinda wrote it because I was watching First class and I thought, wow lets write a thing, so I did. Enjoy the read!]

**A Late Goodbye **

Charles lay in bed at his mansion fast asleep late one spring evening. It had been about a year since the attack orchestrated by the mutant shawl and he was still getting use to being paralysed. His torso tossed and turned, rotating at the waist while the anything lower refused to move an inch. Beads of sweat slid down his brow, plagued by the nightmares infesting his mind.

His eyes flew open and sat up impulsively. The nightmare having left him in a cold sweat and apprehensive as it did every night since he left. His nightmares were always about 'him', and they were always awful and felt so real.

Upon hearing the soft click from the door across the large floor of his bedroom, Charles panicked. His mind going in battle mode, he had his fingers to his temple and was scanning for other minds within a few seconds. To his amazement, he could not feel another presence in the mansion. Yet despite that, the sound of footsteps across the bedroom floor echoed around the small space.

"Who are you?" Charles asked in a loud voice. From the shadows he could hear the person move towards the bed. Quickly, he reached to his bedside table for the gun he kept. As quickly as Charles had grabbed the gun, it was flung across to the wall with what must have been an invisible force.

"There is no need for that now Charles," called the bone chilling voice in his nightmares. That voice was the one Charles had missed so much and the one he had wanted to hear for so long. From the shadows, the footsteps got louder as a figure began to emerge from the dark.

"No," Charles whispered.

The figure walked further into the room where the light splayed across his face to show the intruder was Eric Lavenshire, wearing an expensive suit and metal helmet that allowed him to be safe from telepaths. Eric walked closer to the bed and stopped when he was about three metres from it. Charles sat up straighter, falling sideways as his lower body refused to move. Trying to get up only succeeded in Charles almost falling off the bed. In a moment, Eric had crossed the room and was now helping Charles back up into bed. Charles gripped to him, feeling the reassuring warm flesh until he was sitting up in his bed.

'My gosh,' he thought to himself. 'He is here, really here'. Charles marvelled in his discovery, when he spotted something starting to dampen his sheets. He looked towards the other man, to find tears streaming down his cheeks.

"What have I done to you?" Eric muttered, gently lifting off the helmet. "Oh, what have I done?" He looked down further, and with a ragged breath soon stopped the stream of tears.

Reaching towards him, Charles leant forward and cupped Eric's cheek in his palm. As he began to shy away from the touch, Charles lightly placed his fingers under Eric's chin and guided him to sit on the bed next to him.

"Hey, it's alright," he assured Eric, using a soothing tone. Eric looked up at him, his face almost softening.

"I'm sorry Charles, I didn't.." his voice stopping in his throat. He looked down again.

"It's ok, hey," Charles replied, softly lifting Eric's chin. "I'm fine. I missed you."

Eric almost smirked, looking up at Charles. "I missed you too," he said, his voice seeming a bit happier. "Are you okay?"

Charles nodded. "Of course I am what about you?"

Eric swallowed, eyes looking away. "I am in a brotherhood now, with those mutants. It… It's alright. I guess. That's why I've come actually."

Charles was stumped at the last remark. He didn't know what Eric was talking about. "What's wrong?"

"I, uh," he sighed outwardly. "I have to say goodbye properly, last time, it wasn't properly." As he said it, Eric moved closer to Charles.

Charles was stunned, moving back. He began to lay down, Eric's hand gently guiding him to his pillow. As soon as Charles was comfy, Eric stood up and covered his old friend with his blanket. Straitening his suit that he had on, he knelt down and looked at Charles.

Charles turned his head to face Eric, feeling the wetness of tears in the corner of his eyes. He reached out again and cupped Eric's cheek. "You don't have to leave again," he whispered sweetly, starting to feel tired again. "You could all live here, and then you wouldn't have to leave."

Eric leaned his head into the touch, bringing his own hand to place over it as if to hold it there. Closing his eyes, Eric shook his head and looked at Charles again. "I can't Charles. I will not be at the mercy of non-mutants, and I will not endanger my brotherhood."

Seeing Charles' face sadden, Eric brought the others hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "If I could, I would, but I can't abandon them."

Charles looked at him again, eyes brimming with tears. "Well, this, this is goodbye."

Eric leaned closer, his breathe now warm on Charles' cheek. He brought his hands to cup under Charles chin, leaning forward a little more so that they were touching nose to nose. "Goodbye, Charles."

Within a second, Eric had brought Charles even closer and laid his mouth atop of the others. Moving slowly, he caressed, nipped and poured all his emotions and longing into the kiss. As he went to move back, Eric was pulled back forward. Charles gripped the front of Eric's suit tightly, biting Eric's bottom lip and sucking on it slightly.

Charles soon backed up and Eric staggered back, both breathing raggedly. Eric closed his eyes, and went to reach for his helmet when he felt his wrist being gripped. He glanced up at Charles, looking into pleading eyes.

"Stay, please?" Charles asked, propping himself up on one arm. "Just, lay down with me until morning. Please, Eric."

Eric sighed, closing his eyes and opening them to see Charles looking desperate. He nodded, and slowly removed his jacket and tie, then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Charles lifted the blanket as Eric walked around the other side and clambered into bed. The last thing Charles remembered before falling asleep was the warm feeling of Eric's arms holding him tight.

Charles woke the next morning to the sun streaming through his curtains onto his face. He was surprised to see that the spot next to him on the bed was empty, yet it was still warm. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, when he noticed a note sitting on his bedside table.

Sitting up, he reached for the paper and picked it up gently. The paper was folded into four with '_Charles_' written elegantly on the front. Opening it up, it said four words:

_Thank you and Goodbye_

Charles eyes began to water once again, as he folded up the paper. He opened up the top drawer of the bedside cupboard and pulled out a wooden box, hand carved with beautiful wooden flowers on top. Charles opened the box, and delicately put the not inside. After a moment, he replaced the box and shut the drawer, vowing to never look at it again.

[A/N: So, I hope you guys like it! If it was sad, I'm sorry, hope it was good though. Thank you so much for reading!]


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